Integral Purchasing Management

Good purchasing management, whether raw materials, semi-finished or fully finished products, is essential for a large majority of companies.

Minerva Holding has a highly qualified human team in its subsidiaries established in Hong Kong and Dongguan (China), led by Enrique “Kike” Alonso, founding partner of the group.

The main advantages of putting the management of your purchases in our hands are:

  • Search and verification of suppliers and manufacturers, discriminating "false" intermediaries and low-level companies.
  • Global calculation of costs, with precision and without errors.
  • Management of financing and insurance with Spanish entities.
  • Carrying out all the administrative procedures, with a single interlocutor.
  • Integral quality reports "on-site", with audits in real time.
  • Hiring door-to-door transport, by the most appropriate means and at the best price.
  • Consolidated billing in euros.

Quality Control

After knowing the needs of our Customers, our team carries out an exhaustive process of searching and identifying top-level manufacturers, always extracted from the so-called “white list” of the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Once the first screening has been carried out, we study the suitability of potential suppliers in terms of quality, price, payment method and delivery times, to later carry out a detailed audit, with the aim of having a real vision of the structure of the same.

Quality audits include the verification of the following areas and processes:

  • Factory physical conditions and supplier capacity: facilities, manufacturing process and personnel.
  • Documentation accrediting the supplier: quality certificates, company registration and export license.

The inspections are carried out with our own qualified and certified personnel, in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard for quality management and the SA8000 standard on social responsibility.

The audit report includes videos and images that provide visual support for the inspection.

Production Processes Supervision

The Minerva team of engineers has extensive experience and knowledge in the Supervision of the Production Processes of the different products that our Customers entrust to us.

Through strict protocols and advanced control systems, we pursue the following objectives:

  • Reduction of operational and delivery process times.
  • Productivity optimization, through increased production that must be carried out in a given time. This is done with better scheduling and thorough control.
  • Creation of short and long-term planning systems, always related to the capacity of the different plants, the continuous development of production, delivery times, the control of production itself and the location of the parts.
  • Putting the correct control systems in place, such as productivity control, quality control, and response times.
  • Determination of roles and responsibilities of all operators involved in the production processes that affect our Customers' products.

The main benefits for our Customers of this service offered by Minerva are:

  • We certify the fluidity of the production processes in their entirety.
  • We control the misuse and unnecessary waste of resources.
  • We achieve optimal use of production capacity, through a certain programming that is adapted to the elements of the machine and in this way, we reduce downtime and excess use.
  • We measure production times, so that they stay at a good pace, increasing productivity.
  • The optimization of the production, allows the saving of the costs.
  • A well-developed planning ensures the dispatch of the products within the agreed deadlines.
  • We guarantee that inventory levels remain optimal at all times, thus avoiding excesses or stock outs.

Logistics Coordination

Currently there is great competition in delivery times, so they tend to be more and more strict, considering that, if the delivery is late or with defects, it can mean the loss of sales, so that a correct coordination in All the activities that this implies, from the moment the operation begins until it reaches the final consumer, constitutes a fundamental task.

Having a good logistical coordination will allow the client to receive the merchandise on time and in optimal conditions and this is where transport plays a fundamental role, since it has a great impact on prices, energy consumption and the environment. . Thanks to globalization, more and more efficient transport is available, which makes it possible to cover intercontinental distances. An adequate quality management in all the resources associated with the transfer of goods, not only means greater benefits, but can also be the difference between the permanence or not, of the company in the market.

Logistics coordination must be in the hands of companies such as Minerva, whose extensive experience and Integral knowledge of logistics systems will provide substantial improvements in the following essential factors for customers:

  • Quality.
  • Service.
  • Supply.
  • Innovation.
  • Cost reduction.
  • Legislative domain.

Product Development

At Minerva, aware of the extreme complexity involved in product development, we offer this high-value-added service for our Customers.

As a general rule, the development of new products is usually associated with the need to innovate, such as taking advantage of new technologies, but it can also pursue different business growth objectives, that is, access new market niches and expand thus the existing offer with a new customer profile.

The development of new products can also be used to respond to the appearance of new tastes or interests in the consumer.

These processes, carried out in close collaboration with our Customers, are made up of 8 phases:

  • Idea generation: It is a first step and consists, as its name indicates, in the systematic search for innovative ideas that can lead to new products. Both internal and external sources of information are usually used since, in reality, it is advisable to involve people from different areas who can contribute a greater diversity of points of view. It is common to schedule brainstorming meetings.
  • Debugging of ideas: Here the ideas that seem most viable are selected, which perhaps can respond to the needs of the consumer and, at the same time, guarantee economic benefits for the company.
  • Proof of concept: If you already have a valid idea, it is time to develop it into a concept, in a kind of detailed “draft”.
  • Development of the marketing strategy: The design of the marketing strategy that will allow the launch of the product will be considered, from the definition of the target audience to the sales objectives or the budget for promotional actions.
  • Business Analysis: The objective of this phase is to review key variables, such as sales estimation or product functions, to determine if they conform to the initial guidelines.
  • Product development: Concepts must be turned into real products with the necessary financial and technical resources. Here you will see if you can actually get a profitable product.
  • Test market: This is a test phase, that is, with the product defined and the marketing strategy clear, market situations are created where it is evaluated how they adapt before launch.
  • Marketing: In this last stage, the management team of the company must decide whether the company will finally invest in the commercialization of this product and assume the costs associated with it.

Product Portfolio Optimization​

Changing consumer needs, stagnant markets, volatile costs, and new competitors demand a product portfolio strategy that can deliver sustainable and profitable growth. Consumer products companies have a complex portfolio that can comprise dozens or even hundreds of brands. Some of these brands will be doing well, while others will be dragging down corporate performance and ROI. Deciding to direct resources in new directions, different from those of non-performing brands requires detailed analysis on several fronts:

  • Market positioning.
  • Distribution channel.
  • Wide range and coverage.
  • Innovation and adaptation to technological evolution.
  • Quality.
  • Service, agility and availability.
  • Continuous cost improvement.

At Minerva, we offer our Customers the implementation of optimization processes for their product portfolios, through a detailed and independent analysis of each line, assigning it a specific action:

  • Grow up. When a product line or a specific product has the potential to gain weight in the portfolio as a whole, we try to maximize its growth by allocating more resources.
  • To get better. On many occasions, our Customers have products that have traditionally worked and that are recognized and notorious in the market, but that have begun to show signs of decline. In these cases, we focus on identifying the reasons that have caused this negative trend, and we strive to try to redirect and improve the situation.
  • Leave. If a product or the line to which it belongs does not meet the expected performance metrics, we will do everything possible to improve its positioning and visibility. However, transparency and ethics could lead us to recommend its elimination.
  • Keep. We will recommend adopting the position of keeping within the portfolio those products that are an important part of the company's future assets.

Research & Development

Research, Development and Innovation is the research process in scientific and technical knowledge, with the aim of developing technologies to obtain new products, materials or processes. For this, in R & D & I activities, it will be essential that a significant level of creativity or novelty can be appreciated.

At Minerva, through our own team of engineers and technicians, supported by our group of first-rate Partners, we offer our Customers to guide their investments in research, development and innovation, with the aim of increasing their sales.

This can be by means of an improvement of the quality of the product or service, or the reduction of its price. That is, to achieve a competitive advantage.

We highlight 3 types of projects:

  • Basic or fundamental research: Seeks to acquire new knowledge. Through it, it is intended to formulate hypotheses, laws and theories.
  • Applied research: From what is obtained in basic research, practical applications are sought. Knowledge is used to obtain practical objects. The research results are capable of being patented to be exploited commercially.
  • Technological development: It involves the use of knowledge acquired in applied research. At this stage, the company has acquired the know-how and prototypes are developed.

Branding

At Minerva we are aware that it is the brand of a company that distinguishes it from the competition, therefore we offer a Integral customization and brand development service applicable to any product that our Customers need.

It must be understood that the brand is more than just a name, it is the seal, an identifying symbol and the spirit of the company. Through the brand, users perceive a valid image in terms of quality, reliability and uniqueness.

Currently, competition between companies is increasing, products are increasingly similar and it is necessary for the company to know how to differentiate itself in a perfectly competitive market. Thus, the key to business is branding, that is, the power of the brand as a differentiating element. This difference is reflected in the intangible part of the company, which is its value, credibility and uniqueness of its brand. The brand of a company tells a story, an experience on the part of the client, which ends up transmitting an emotion.

Branding has established itself as a necessary element for any company, since it is a way to consolidate the brand, and achieve prestige and recognition, especially in digital communication platforms.

A good branding strategy costs a few concepts that must be developed so that the user can visualize our products or services and think about it, among them are:

  • Highlight the values ​​of a brand at all times.
  • Build credibility and trust.
  • Strengthen the identity of your products or services.
  • Differentiate yourself from the competition.

Commercial Advisory

The Commercial Advisory service provided by Minerva professionals, thanks to our international network of close contacts and access to complex markets, seeks to increase the current sales volume of our Customers, introducing improvements in the fundamental aspects of the process:

  • Knowledge of the markets.
  • Information on the competitive environment.
  • Adaptation of the products.
  • Normative compliance.
  • Presentation, in a trusted environment, of potential Customers.

In the commercial Advisory process, which is carried out strictly, it is essential to achieve a perfect understanding of the products or services of our Customers, in order to develop a tailored improvement plan.

Strategic and Financial Advisory

One of the lines of service provided by Minerva Holding is Strategic and Financial Consulting, which can be carried out thanks to the experience of some of the group’s partners.

The extensive knowledge in business management, strategic development, financial management and Advisory on business buying and selling processes, together with Minerva’s international network of Partners and contacts, allows us to offer a quality service based on experience to our Customers.

Both the design of an adequate strategy, a strict financial control, and the enhancement of the companies themselves, are vitally important factors that must represent a priority for the entrepreneur. Consulting specialized in finance becomes a vital ally in the search for better profits and in the creation of greater wealth.

In this sense, the different services included in this important line of business of the Minerva group are:

  • Strategic consulting: Our area of ​​strategic specialization is involved on a day-to-day basis in helping its Customers create and review their competitive strategy.
  • Financial consulting: We advise our Customers by designing new financial policies and we adapt each strategy to the organizational structure of our Customers.
  • Financial coaching: We accompany the entrepreneur on his way to success, we help him in the process, we are his personal trainer, generating and adding value. From the enhancement of their companies, to guardianship in investor search processes, financing, purchase of companies or the sale of our Customers' own business.

We have important success stories, about which we will be happy to provide more information. Ask us.